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Washstand
William Hook (American, 1777–1867)
about 1808
Object Place: Salem, Massachusetts, United States
Medium/Technique
Mahogany, satinwood veneer, maple, poplar?
Dimensions
105.1 x 57.8 x 40.0 cm (41 3/8 x 22 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. John B. M. Mactaggart
Accession Number39.557
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAmericas
ClassificationsFurniture – Tables, stands, screens
Catalogue Raisonné
Randall 101
DescriptionA corner stand with a rounded front and two shelves. On the upper level is a shaped gallery, the two sides of which are curved and counter-curved and support between them a small shelf with a rounded front. The large upper shelf has a molded edge and is pierced with two small and one large hole for containers and a basin. The skirt beneath the shelf is veneered with satinwood and has a scalloped outline. The lower shelf is molded on all three edges, and below it is a satinwood stile containing a small drawer with a beaded edge and a brass pull. There are two scalloped mahogany brackets between the stile and the legs. The three legs are square and the front ones curve outward at the foot. They are joined by three shaped and pierced stretchers that meet in a circular platform.
The satinwood veneer is on maple, and all other parts, including the drawer linings, are mahogany. The circular center of the stretchers is too thin to be functional as a platform.
The satinwood veneer is on maple, and all other parts, including the drawer linings, are mahogany. The circular center of the stretchers is too thin to be functional as a platform.
ProvenanceMade in 1808/09 by William Hook as a wedding present to his sister Hannah, who married Peter Folsom on August 17, 1809. The stand formed part of a group of pieces made for the wedding, including four other objects now also in the MFA collection (see also 38.67, 39.555, 39.556, and 55.379) The stand descended in the Folsom family to Edmund Folsom and his wife Mary Crosby, married in 1845, and then to Mabel Folsom McIinnes (b. 1860), married in 1888; and then to the donor, Hook's grandniece, Mrs. John B.M. McTaggert, nee Elsie B. Folsom (Accession Date May 11, 1939)